RECIPE. Holiday Sweets from the Places We Travel with Che Bella Tours

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Laurel Nelson
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1 Holiday Sweets from the Places We Travel with Che Bella Tours RECIPE Every country Che Bella travels to has its own unique holiday traditions. We hope you enjoy this sweet peek into the Christmas dessert recipes from Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Scotland and Greece. Wishing you happy holidays and wonderful adventures in the coming year. Sandy Gregory Che Bella Tours Italy: Panettone Panettone means simply big bread, referring to quality of the enriched bread, not the size. It s actually a Christmas cake, and a staple on Italian tables during the holidays. 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 2 eggs 3 egg yolks 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup currants, soaked in warm water for 1 hour and drained 2 oranges, zested 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round deep cake pan or panettone mold. In a mixer, cream the butter with the eggs and egg yolks until pale yellow, 3 to 4 minutes. Replace the beater with the dough hook attachment, and with the mixer running, add half of the flour. Add half the milk and mix for 1 minute. Add the remaining flour followed by the remaining milk and all of the sugar and mix well. Continue mixing and kneading with the dough hook until the dough becomes dry enough to handle. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle with the currants, orange zest, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Knead by hand for 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The top will be quite cracked. Remove from the oven, invert onto a rack and cool. Slice into wedges to serve. France; A Bûche de Noël with Coffee, Buttercream and Ganache The name of this recipe literally translates as Christmas log, referring to the traditional Yule log burned centuries past. This is the Saveur go-to Christmas recipe my friend and associate, Chef Patricia LaCorte, swears by. Born in France, Patricia was raised in a restaurant family. She studied at Cordon Bleu in Paris under the formal direction of Mme Brassard and then under Master Chef Roger Verger who inspired French Nouvelle Cuisine and at L Aquitaine with Chef Christiane Massia. In 1981 she became the pioneer of the food movement in the Virgin Islands and owns and operates 3 restaurants here. She is one of those Chefs who wakes up thinking joyous thoughts about food and the next culinary creation. Patricia and I are currently crafting a one-of-a-kind gastronomic tour through France. Think about joining us.

2 Bûche de Noël For the Sponge Cake: 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pan 3 4 cup cake flour, plus more for pan 2 3 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided 4 eggs Confectioners sugar, for dusting 1 tbsp. dark rum For the Ganache Icing, Coffee Buttercream Filling, and Finishing: 14 oz. 70-percent dark chocolate, finely chopped 1 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp. honey cups sugar, divided 6 egg whites, divided 2 tsp. green food coloring 24 tbsp. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 tbsp. stongly brewed espresso Cocoa powder, for dusting Edible gold dust, to garnish (available from nycake.com) 1. Make the meringue decorations: Heat oven to 200. Place 1 3 cup sugar and 2 egg whites in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; stir mixture until egg whites register 140 on an instant-read thermometer. Remove bowl from saucepan and beat with a hand mixer on high speed until cooled. Place 1 cup meringue in a bowl, and stir in food coloring; transfer green meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 3 8-inch star tip. Working on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, pipe two inch-wide stars; pipe a 1-inch-wide star on top of each larger star, and then pipe a 1 2-inch-wide star on top of each middle star to form a three-tiered Christmas tree. Transfer uncolored meringue to a piping bag fitted with a 3 8-inch-round tip; pipe four inch-wide mounds to resemble mushroom caps, and then pipe four 1 2-inch-wide x inch-tall sticks to resemble mushroom stems. Bake meringue shapes until dry and crisp, about 2 hours. Turn off oven and let shapes cool completely in oven. 2. Make the ganache icing: Place chocolate in a bowl; set aside. Bring cream and honey to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir cream and chocolate until smooth and shiny; let cool at room temperature until set and thick, at least 6 hours or overnight. 3. Make the coffee buttercream filling: Place 1 cup sugar and 4 egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and set it over a saucepan of simmering water; stir mixture until egg whites register 140 on an instant-read thermometer. Remove bowl from saucepan and place on stand mixer fitted with a whisk; beat on high speed until meringue is cooled and forms stiff peaks. Replace whisk with paddle and add butter to meringue; beat until smooth, stir in espresso, and set aside. 4. Make the sponge cake: Heat oven to 400. Grease and flour a 13-inch x 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat 2 3 cup sugar and eggs on high speed until

3 mixture falls back in thick ribbons when lifted from the whisk, about 6 minutes; fold in butter and flour. Spread batter into an even layer on bottom of prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown on the bottom, about 12 minutes. Place a clean kitchen towel that is larger than the baking sheet on a work surface, and dust it liberally with confectioners sugar. Invert cake onto towel; dust with more sugar. Starting with a narrow end of the rectangle, immediately roll cake up into a jelly roll, letting the towel roll inside the cake. Let cool to room temperature. 5. Make the rum syrup: Bring 2 tbsp. sugar, rum, and 1 tbsp. water to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan over high heat; cook until sugar dissolves and set aside to cool. Assemble the cake: Once cooled, gently unroll and remove towel from cake. Brush the inside with the rum syrup; allow to soak in for about 2 minutes. Spread buttercream evenly over cake; re-roll cake and set the roll seam side down on a serving platter. Slice about 3 inches off one end of the cake roll at a 30 angle; cut the other end to make it flat. Spread the flat end of the angled slice with a little buttercream and set the slice on top of the cake roll to create a stump. Stir ganache until smooth and, using a small offset spatula, spread ganache over cake, leaving the ends of cake and cut top of the stump exposed. Drag the tines of a fork along the ganache, making markings to resemble bark; refrigerate until chilled. Decorate the Bûche de Noël: Using ganache as glue, place meringue caps on top of stems to form mushrooms. Dust cocoa powder lightly over the mushrooms, and sprinkle gold dust lightly over the entire Bûche de Noël. Place meringue mushrooms and Christmas trees decoratively on and around the Bûche de Noël before serving. Spain: Roscón de Reyes. Three Kings Bread This is the most traditional food item served on Epiphany, January 6, in Spain. It is a large, round, donut-shaped cake that is adorned with candied fruit and can be served with whipped cream in the center. Roscón always has a plastic figurine baked into it and whoever gets the piece with the figurine inside typically wins, sometimes receiving money or some other prize or treat. In some families, however, the person who gets the figurine loses and has to pay for the roscón. 1 envelope active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided 1/3 cup warm milk 2 sticks butter, softened, divided 4 1/2 cups flour, divided 5 eggs, at room temperature, divided 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons Pure Orange Extract 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 1 egg yolk Candied dried fruit, such as cherries, figs, oranges, lemons, mango or pineapple Sliced almonds Whipped cream (optional)

4 Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until foamy. Add 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of the butter to warm milk in medium bowl; stir until melted. Set aside. Meanwhile, mix 2 cups of the flour, remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 4 of the eggs, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and salt in large mixer bowl with dough hook attachment 1 minute on low speed or until well blended. Add yeast mixture, milk and butter mixture, and orange extract; beat 2 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups of the remaining flour, beating for 2 minutes. (Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.) Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (Dough should not feel dry but soft and slightly tacky.) Place dough in buttered or oiled bowl. Roll dough in bowl and turn greased side up. Cover bowl with buttered or oiled plastic wrap. Place bowl in warm, draft -free place, such as inside of microwave oven or turned off oven. Let dough stand 1 to 2 hours or until almost doubled in size. Meanwhile, beat remaining 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter and confectioners sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and egg yolk; beat to form a smooth paste. Divide in 6 equal pieces. Wrap with plastic wrap. Set aside. When dough has almost doubled in size, punch down to remove air. With floured hands, remove from bowl onto floured surface. Knead a few times then shape into a ball. Roll dough into a 40 inch long by 2-inch wide log. Place on large parchment-lined baking sheet. Bring ends of dough together to form a large oval ring. With wet hands, press to seal ends. Cover with clean kitchen towel. Place baking sheet in slightly warm, draft-free place. Let dough stand 1 to 2 hours longer or until almost doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat remaining egg until well blended. Brush dough ring with beaten egg. Roll pieces of confectioners sugar mixture into 3-inch long by 1 1/2-inch wide strips. Arrange strips decoratively on dough ring. Garnish with candied fruit pieces and sliced almonds as desired. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and dough sounds hollow when tapped. Cool completely on wire rack. If you like, slice the racon horizontally and fill with whipped cream Ireland: Traditional Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter I play tennis in the Virgin Islands with my friend, Eve Mathews, who came from Dublin to St. Thomas 22 years ago but goes home often to visit her family. When serving, Eve pours a little brandy over her pudding and lights it at the table for a little holiday drama! 2 cups mixture of any or all of the following: dark raisins, golden raisins, and currants, red cherries, grated carrot 1 cup flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup finely grated butter 1 cup fresh brown breadcrumbs (from around 4 thick slices of bread) 1 cup light muscovado sugar 1 cup mixed nuts, chopped plus extra to decorate

1/2 tsp grated each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove and allspice 1 cup milk 1 large egg butter for greasing RECIPE For the brandy butter: 1 cup softened unsalted butter 1 cup icing sugar.

5 1/2 tsp grated each: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove and allspice 1 cup milk 1 large egg butter for greasing RECIPE For the brandy butter: 1 cup softened unsalted butter 1 cup icing sugar. Place the sugar in the blender, then pulse until the sugar turns to very fine powder. When it s powdery, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and pulse into the sugar 4 tbsp boiling water 6 tbsp brandy Preheat the oven to 300. For the pudding, put the dried fruit, flour, baking powder, salt, grated butter, sugar, nuts and breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl with the spices, then stir in the milk and egg. Once well combined, pour into a buttered pudding pan or bundt cake pan. Place the pan in a large roasting pan and pour enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Then cover the whole roasting pan with a tent of buttered foil and steam in the oven for 6 hours. Check occasionally and top off with boiling water as needed. If you are preparing this pudding ahead of time, remove the foil, let it cool slightly, then wrap in cling film then some fresh foil. If you are serving it immediately, unwrap and invert onto a deep plate. Brandy Butter: For the sauce, put butter, sugar, water and brandy in a pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring. Allow to bubble away for 2-3 minutes, still stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is pale caramel in colour and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Pour the sauce over the pudding and decorate with whole mixed nuts. When you are ready to serve, pour over a few tablespoons of brandy and light. Scotland: Cranachan This is a recipe from one of my oldest, dearest friends, Ruth Bailey, who I met in 1975 when she was the AFS exchange student at my high school. Two years later I was also an AFS student in Oaxaca, Mexico. Ruth is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, but today her homes in London and Mallorca are often welcome respits for me in between tours. Thirty years later, we re still having great adventures together. 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup Scottish steel-cut oatmeal (ie not rolled oats) 6 tbsp whisky 3 tbs Scottish honey 1 lb raspberries Put the oatmeal onto a metal tray under a hot grill, toast for 3 to 5 minutes. Take care not to burn them. Leave to cool. Lightly whip the cream and fold in the whiskey and honey, then fold in the oatmeal and berries. Pour into tall glasses and chill for at least an hour before serving.

6 Greece: Melomakarona Honey-dipped cookies stuffed and sprinkled with walnuts. This recipe is from my cousin-in-law Pam Paradies and her Mom, Mary Katsulas, who bring touches of their Greek traditions to our family holiday cups light olive oil or cups corn oil 1 2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 cup beer (or more) or 1 cup orange juice (or more) 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon teaspoons ground cloves 2 oranges, zest of, grated 1 cup sugar 2 cups fine ground semolina (cream of wheat or farina) 6 cups flour 1 2 teaspoon baking soda 1 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Syrup cups sugar cups greek thyme honey 1 cup water 3 4 cup walnuts, finely chopped Put the corn oil, butter, beer (or orange juice), cinnamon, cloves, orange peel and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until they are thoroughly blended. Sift about one cup of flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt and blend into the oil mixture. Add the semolina, a cup at a time, into this mixture. Add enough of the remaining flour, a cup at a time, until you get a rather firm dough (you may need a bit more or less than the amount of flour mentioned in the ingredients list). Use your hands to do the mixing, as an electric mixer will be useless after the first two or three cups of flour have been added. Roll the dough into cylinders, about two inches long and one inch in diameter, flatten them with your hands, and place them on cookie sheets that have been greased with a little olive oil. Bake at 350 for half an hour. Remove the cookies from the oven and pour hot syrup over them. Lay the cookies out in a rimmed baking pan large enough to contain them and pour the hot syrup over the cookies, sprinkle them with the chopped walnuts and let them soak overnight. For the syrup: mix the sugar, honey and water, and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat for four minutes and skim off the foam that forms on top. The next day put them on your prettiest platter, sprinkle each layer evenly with the finely chopped walnuts and serve.

Bittersweet Chocolate Roulade Yule Log

Bittersweet Chocolate Roulade Yule Log We created a cake that is easy to roll but still moist, tender, and full of chocolate flavor. With the cream, ganache, and mushrooms, this cake also makes the ultimate